Yang Zhaojuan, Wu Ji
School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
DNA Cell Biol. 2007 Apr;26(4):257-64. doi: 10.1089/dna.2006.0548.
MicroRNAs, identified only relatively recently, are regulators of gene expression with potential medical benefits. The combination of microRNAs and regenerative medicine is an emerging interdisciplinary medical field that can yield exciting new possibilities for clinical medicine. In this paper, we review the prospects of microRNAs as future therapies in regenerative medicine. Recently, researchers have demonstrated the crucial roles of microRNAs, not only in the differentiation and proliferation of stem cells, which have a key function in the regeneration and transplantation of organs, but also in oncogenesis. Several lines of indirect evidence show that the initiation and maintenance of cancer stem cells might also be under the control of microRNAs. Further, microRNAs have been indicated to be involved in diverse biological processes, suggesting the potential role of these molecules in the treatment of diseases.
微小RNA是近年来才被发现的基因表达调控因子，具有潜在的医学益处。微小RNA与再生医学的结合是一个新兴的跨学科医学领域，可为临床医学带来令人兴奋的新可能性。在本文中，我们综述了微小RNA作为再生医学未来疗法的前景。最近，研究人员已经证明了微小RNA的关键作用，不仅在干细胞的分化和增殖中发挥作用（干细胞在器官再生和移植中具有关键功能），而且在肿瘤发生中也发挥作用。几条间接证据表明，癌症干细胞的起始和维持可能也受微小RNA的控制。此外，微小RNA已被证明参与多种生物学过程，表明这些分子在疾病治疗中具有潜在作用。
